Here are my spreads for the feature articles.
Again, my target audience is young adults, ages 22ish to 35.
I wanted to take completely different approaches for each one to see what I could come up with.
I think the first spread would be more geared to an older audience, so I'm not sure about it. The second layout is outside of how I normally design, but I'm hoping it works. I wanted it bold and to almost scream through the page. And for the third one, I tried out justified type. I'm not sure how well it worked, if at all. But I gave it a shot, and would like some feedback on that.
Thanks!
Erica – 3 very different approaches using the same text, NICE! Some thoughts:
ReplyDeleteLayout #1 – it’s a pretty light-hearted approach to this serious subject. In fact, I think it could almost be a layout for a cooking magazine. This is because of the images – which are so important to magazine design. So, I’ll leave this layout alone and go on to the others.
Layout #2 – You want this to scream? Good. It needs to scream even louder. Why not start that crazy bold headline on the first page and let it invade the image, even sitting above her forehead. You would be adding the word HUNGER to the image creating a really strong statement. Her face IS the new face of hunger. Body copy treatment works well with an enlarged intro paragraph at a good line width. But… I’m thinking it might be important for us to easily read the column quote. Setting it on its side makes this impossible. Have you considered running it as 1 line along the bottom of the pages – again invading the image and running across the gutter (carefully). It would probably be that same size, or close to it. Then… you will be left with what to do with that neg space on right hand page. Run a set of vertical photos down? Add a silhouette of something or someone? You can’t leave it blank… but you also do not need to fill the whole area.
Layout #3 – These images are really amazing, good find! This layout is much more subdued than the last, although the images are actually more potent. I’m almost wondering if the first photo could be used, reduced and cropped, on the layout #2 where the column quote lives currently. It might be interesting to think about how to crop it (what to leave out, and what to leave in) if you were to do that. Meanwhile, if this layout is what you want to move forward with I suggest you add leading to the justified type, and consider justifying the body copy as well. That’s a lot of dense body copy all together – so think about how you could break it up a bit. The returns between the paragraphs to lighten it, but still… maybe too much consecutive lines? Consider block quote, or column quote, or additional photo.
Hi Erica,
ReplyDeleteYour first layout is very reminiscent of a Food Network magazine. I don't get the theme of the article from this spread, I get cook book personally. I understand fitting the title into the image but I think the leading could be tightened up, and maybe capitalize "New" or leave "Hunger" in mixed case just so there is some consistency to the style. The pull quote is a great choice, but I wonder if making it a little smaller might give it some breathing room, it seems a bit cramped as it is now. The body copy is good, simple, perhaps decreasing the point size so you don't have an abandoned line at the end of page 1 and likewise not having the stepping letters at the end of page 2.
Your second layout, I find a familiar face. I loved that image of the boy too. Great choice. The tone of this layout is more serious to match the theme and I like that but the quote in the right column is the only part that's bugging me. I would reflow it to be left to right, I know it fits better up and down but it's tougher to read and it needs to be read.
Your third layout, isn't screaming like the last layout but it is still solemn and the imagery gives a depressive feel which works well in this case. The title is simple, I feel like you could push it further to really grab attention. The body copy works well, the columns work in 4, but the intro paragraph seems very disconnected from the article in both type choice and placement, it's a bit too close to the image and not close enough to the copy that it's introducing.
Dan
Thanks Dan!
DeleteI realized after I made these, that I used the same image as you, of the boy. I just love the image, especially for the article. I ended up reworking the 2nd spread. I made the whole spread a black background, brought the pull quote to stretch the bottom of the page, and where the quote was, added the image of the woman, but in black and white.
Thanks so much for the feedback. Very helpful.
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